Yosua 20

1 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Yosua sɛ,

Then the LORD said to Joshua,

2 “Afei, ka kyerɛ Israelfoɔ no na wɔnyiyi dwanekɔbea nkuropɔn no sɛdeɛ mehyɛɛ Mose no.

“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses,

3 Obiara a wanhyɛ da na ɔbɛkum obi no tumi dwane kɔ nkuropɔn yi bi so, kɔbɔ ne ho adwaa, sɛdeɛ owufoɔ no abusuafoɔ no ntumi ntɔ okum no so were.

so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

4 Sɛ onipa a wanhyɛ da na ɔkum obi no duru kuropɔn no bi so a, ɔnkɔhunu kuropɔn no mu mpanimfoɔ wɔ kuropɔn no ɛpono ano na ɔnkyerɛ wɔn deɛ ɛsiiɛ. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔma ho kwan ma ɔwura kuropɔn no mu, na wɔne no tena.

When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them.

5 Sɛ owufoɔ no abusuafoɔ ba sɛ wɔrebɛtɔ okum no so were a, ɛnsɛ sɛ mpanimfoɔ no yi okumfoɔ no ma, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛyɛ ɛsiane.

Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice.

6 Nanso, ɛsɛ sɛ okumfoɔ no tena kuropɔn no mu na ɔmanfoɔ di nʼasɛm bu no bem. Na ɛsɛ sɛ okumfoɔ no kɔ so tena kuro no mu, ɛfiri sɛ, owuo no yɛ asiane. Ɔbɛtena hɔ akɔsi sɛ ɔsɔfopanin a ɔwɔ hɔ saa ɛberɛ no a asɛm no siiɛ no bɛwu. Ɛno akyi, okumfoɔ no wɔ ho kwan sɛ ɔsane kɔ ne kurom.”

He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.”

7 Nkuropɔn a ɛdidi so yi na wɔyiyi yɛɛ hɔ dwanekɔbea nkuropɔn: Kedes a ɛwɔ Galilea wɔ Naftali bepɔ asase so, Sekem a ɛwɔ Efraim bepɔ asase so, Kiriat-Arba a wɔfrɛ no Hebron a ɛwɔ Yuda bepɔ asase so.

So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.

8 Na Asubɔnten Yordan apueeɛ fam nso a ɛtwam firi Yeriko no, saa nkuropɔn a ɛdidi soɔ yi na wɔyiyii sɛ dwanekɔbea nkuropɔn: Beser a ɛwɔ ɛserɛ pradada so a ɛyɛ Ruben abusuakuo dea no, Ramot a ɛwɔ Gilead a ɛwɔ Gad abusuakuo asase so ne Golan a ɛwɔ Basan a ɛyɛ Manase abusuakuo no asase.

And beyond the Jordan, east of Jericho, they designated Bezer on the wilderness plateau from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.

9 Yeinom ne nkuropɔn a wɔyiyi maa Israelfoɔ ne ahɔhoɔ a wɔne wɔn teɛ no. Obiara a wanfiri boapayɛ mu ankum ɔfoforɔ no, ɔtumi kɔpɛ dwanekɔbea wɔ saa nkuropɔn yi mu biara so. Sɛ wɔfa saa ɛkwan yi so a wɔn a wɔrepɛ aweretɔ nsa renka awudifoɔ no nkum wɔn ansa na wɔaba ɔmanfoɔ asɛnniiɛ abɛyi wɔn ho ano.

These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.